People in Greece enjoy drinks with small appetizers called meze, like these mini-meatballs. For the best tasting meatballs, ask the butcher for meatloaf mix, a combination of ground beef, veal and pork. Make the meatballs up to 2 days ahead of time and reheat covered, in the microwave or in the oven at 350 degrees till steaming hot.

1 pint plain yogurt, preferably whole milk
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon chopped mint (or 1 teaspoon crumbled dried mint)
Salt and black pepper to taste
2 slices of bread without crusts, soaked in water till mushy
2 pounds ground beef or pork
1/2 Oso Sweet Onion, grated
1 egg
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried oregano)
Vegetable oil for browning

Whisk together yogurt, lemon juice, mint, salt and pepper. Store in the refrigerator, up to 3 days.

Squeeze excess moisture from the bread. Mix together the bread, ground meat, onion, egg, oregano, salt and pepper. Form into 6 dozen small meatballs.

Heat oil in a large skillet. Brown meatballs on all sides at moderate heat. Pour off any fat from the pan. Add 1 cup water to the pan and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom. Simmer the meatballs about 10 minutes or until the liquid is syrupy. Serve with toothpicks and dunk into yogurt sauce.

Yield: 6 dozen small meatballs

Chef’s Tip: To form the meatballs, use a melon baller to scoop the mixture. Then, dip your hands in water and roll the meatballs into a rounded shape.